(3.5 stars) I really enjoyed this book and raced through it! The idea that Mairéad never quite feels like she has a place to belong both in London and at home was interesting especially when we learn more about her current set-up in London and her past with her family back in Ireland. Once Mairéad is back in Ireland with her family, her character makes more sense and explains a lot about her troubles in London.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the chance to read this ARC.

The Wardrobe Department
By Elaine Garvey

Set in the early noughties world of London
theatre, this is a quiet, sad and at times, erratic story centring on Mairead, a young woman from Co. Leitrim, who is working as an assistant in the wardrobe department of a struggling theatre company. Mairead is doleful, unmoored and lonely, prey to the handsy theatre men and victim to the bullying producer.

After a strong opening, I began to find the narrative challenging, but soon realised that this is a clue to Mairead's state of mind. She is a bit of an oddball, she doesn't quite fit in. The author does a beautiful job of creating that sense of awkwardness, never seeming to do or say the right thing, and as the reader, the feeling is real.

When her grandmother in Ireland dies, and she makes the journey home, it becomes clear that Mairead is as much a stranger there, as in London.

"If I had two rooms to live in, I would spend my days believing I should be in the other room"

As we met her closer family, the details of her childhood unfold and the impressionistic Mairead comes into full focus.

I love this story. It's millennial backdrop, it's almost Kevin Barryesque Irishness, it's emotional hook. Garvey has found a surprisingly inventive way to explore a character from the outside in.

Publication date: 13th February 2025
Thanks to #NetGalley and #CanongateBooks for providing an ARC for review purposes

Garvey takes us back to 2002 through the eyes of Mairéad, a young Irish woman working as a Costume Department assistant at the fictional St. Leonard theatre in London’s West End. “The Wardrobe Department” is a rich and engaging character study.

Working in the cramped confines of the theatre currently showcasing Chekhov's “Uncle Vanya” , Mairéad struggles to navigate the patronising and predatory attitudes of the cast and crew while also dealing with Oliver, the theatre’s despotic producer.

Feeling out of place, Mairéad perceives a sharp divide between herself and her colleagues. Her contact with family back in Ireland is infrequent, and she consistently tries to brush off her mother’s attempts to reach her. It’s apparent that she came to London to escape something from her past and to seek renewal, yet her loneliness has left her feeling stagnant. Throughout her experience, she often quotes Uncle Vanya, highlighting the parallels to her situation: “𝘞𝘩𝘺 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘥𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘺𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧? 𝘐 𝘥𝘰𝘯’𝘵 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸, 𝘚𝘰𝘯𝘺𝘢, 𝘐 𝘥𝘰𝘯’𝘵 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸.” It’s a brilliant choice by Garvey to feature a Chekhov play in Mairéad’s theatre. Additionally, she is reading Virginia Woolf’s “Mrs. Dalloway”, further reflecting her struggle with identity and belonging. I particularly enjoyed how Garvey uses these intertextual elements to reflect Mairéad's journey and the dynamics of her working life.

She wants to go back to college to study costume design, but her aspirations are quickly undermined by the wardrobe mistress, who questions her intentions: “𝘋𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘢 𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘧𝘰𝘭𝘪𝘰? 𝘋𝘰𝘯’𝘵 𝘵𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘢𝘺, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘥𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘨𝘰 𝘣𝘢𝘤𝘬 𝘵𝘰 𝘤𝘰𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘨𝘦? 𝘗𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘶𝘴 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘯 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘫𝘰𝘣.”

Despite her desire to move forward, the past clings to her, as distant voices of criticism and doubt echo in her mind, intensifying her fears and insecurities.

I enjoyed following Mairéad in and out of her theatre working life, loved reading about her navigations around London, exploring locations like the Wallace Collection, Soho, Bond Street, Oxford Street, and Piccadilly. Even her flat in the outskirts of London – Kingsbury, in Brent, is vividly depicted, bringing the city and her experiences to life.

In the first week of following Mairéad - the story spans from March 28 to April 8 - she is called back to Ireland for her grandmother's funeral. This trip serves as a catalyst for Mairéad to confront her past, where she encounters her contentious parents and we learn of a painful history of abuse that anyone in their right mind would want to escape.

Mairéad is a complex and believable character, and I found her story quite compelling. Garvey has infused each character with rich nuance, bringing them to life. Margaret, the costume department manager, is also a standout character, providing a comforting presence throughout the story.

We start the novel with Uncle Vanya - “𝘐 𝘮𝘰𝘶𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘥 𝘚𝘰𝘯𝘺𝘢’𝘴 ‘𝘞𝘦 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘵’ 𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘦𝘤𝘩 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘮 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘚𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘳𝘢’𝘴 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦”– and cleverly move towards Noel Coward’s ‘Present Laughter’, this shift not only highlights Mairéad’s evolving relationship with theatre but also serves as a commentary on the self-absorbed nature of the actors and producers she encounters. Bravo Elain Garvey! Exquisetely done! #pudseyrecommends

Thanks to Canongate Books and Netgalley for the advance review copy.

When I read the synopsis of the book and I saw that it was about an Irish emigrant to London who works in a theatre, I was immediately sold. I love going to the theatre so was excited to read a book set in that world. I found Garvey's writing compelling and I flew through The Wardrobe Department. However, I was left wanting something slightly more from it. The novel is pretty short and takes place over around two weeks, which includes Mairéad travelling back to Ireland. It felt a little bit rushed. I would have either liked the novel to be longer or for the theatre and Ireland settings to be two different books. Because the book takes place over such a short period of time, I felt like we didn't see much satisfying growth from the protagonist. I also struggled to keep all of the characters straight in my mind.
I would still be intrigued to read any future books by Garvey and think if you are interested in the premise of the Wardrobe Department, I would recommend giving it a go.

'The Wardrobe Department' follows the character of Mairéad, a dresser at a West End theatre, over the course of a couple of weeks around Easter 2002. We first get to know Mairéad through the menial tasks she has to complete for low pay: mending zips, hauling laundry, running errands. She is also subjected to bullying and sexual harassment by other members of the company, not least the show's producer. Mairéad has come to London alone from Ireland, and a family tragedy causes her to return home and reflect on what she has made of her life so far, and what she hopes to do.

I loved Elaine Garvey's evocation of the backstage world of the theatre - a far cry from the romanticised vision many readers will have, but not totally devoid of charm. The depiction of an Irish family wake and funeral is also compelling. This is often an uncomfortable read, particularly in its depiction of the relentless sexual entitlement of powerful men, but the novel also celebrates the strength of women. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me an ARC of this impressive debut novel to review.

This was a typical contemporary litfic where there's not really any singular plot, just vibes. Except, said vibes were slightly off for me. I usually love this genre so I know what to expect going into a book of this type but I'd hoped for so much more from this one. It was quite slow paced; it consistently felt like things were ramping up to some big event but nothing much ever happened. As the reader, it felt like I was just plodding along with the FMC and not really going anywhere, right up until the end which also fell flat for me. The writing style was decent so I'd still be open to reading future work from this writer but this particular book just obviously didn't work for me. I didn't mind the scenes of Mairéad back in Ireland for her grandmother's funeral; I thought some of those family scenes were the stronger ones and if the rest of the book had been similar, I may have given this a higher rating. All in all, it was an okay book but nothing special in my opinion.

Thank you Canongate & Netgalley for my free eARC!

The Wardrobe Department follows Mairéad who works all hours in a run-down West End theatre’s wardrobe department, her whole existence made up of threads and needles, running errands to mend shoes, fixing broken zips and handwashing underwear. She is unsatisfied with her life and dreams to be a costume designer. Unexpectedly, her grandmother dies and she goes back to Ireland, where she finds herself tangled up in her family and life gone by.

Garvey writes in an intriguing and engaging writing style, however the ideas seem mixed and chaotic at some points, which left me confused. This did help portray the character of Mairéad and how unsatisfied she is feeling with her life. I enjoyed the character discovery and setting throughout this book. Being a lover of theatre, it was enjoyable to read about life backstage for the wardrobe department and all of the goings on when the curtain falls, I could really tell that Garvey knows what it is like backstage.

I would recommend this book to anyone who wants a thought provoking and engaging novel that is only 167 pages long.
This will be release February 13th 2025 and you can pre-order your copy today.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I am not sure what to make of this book. It's an unhappy tale of an Irish girl struggling to fit in in London, gripped with homesickness, a lack of self confidence and self love. It's an easy read, and not too long but I am not sure that I enjoyed the reading. But as with most Irish writing it's got the usual air of depression and angst built in. I am sure it will become popular with a certain section of readers.

The Wardrobe Department is a fantastic debut novel from Elaine Garvey.

The central character Mairead, lives a hard life in London working odd hours in the demanding world of theatre. She has a few friends but doesn't really fit in with their way of life. She returns briefly to Ireland but her angst seems to follow her wherever she goes.

I deeply felt Mairead's despair when reading this novel; I so wished that things would turn out better for her as she sought to make a better life for herself.

I will definitely look out for Garvey's next one having enjoyed this one so much.

Mairéad is a young woman working in Wardrobe for one of the seedier theatres in London. She doesn't like her shape, often struggles to make herself heard and is far from a home that she was happy to leave.

Despite Mairéad never really feeling like a fully formed character that actually began to be part of the story. She never seems happy where she is and with what she is doing but she does know what she doesn't want.

This novel grew on me and Mairéad became clearer after her visit home to warring parents and where she'd been glad to escape from.

The story, for me, centres on power and those who abuse it. We have the theatre director who is a tyrant, various people Mairéad works with who treat her badly or often use physical abuse to get what they want. Even back home Mairéad has to face up to a very uncomfortable history of abuse within her own family.

Elaine Garvey has created a story which feels like a Monet painting - impressionistic rather than definite strokes. I'd be very interested to see where her writing takes us next. She is most certainly a talent to watch.

Thankyou to Netgalley and Canongate Books for the advance review copy.

An interesting read! I really liked the writing in this, every sentence felt chosen with care, and I would definitely read more by this author. I'm always fascinated by theatres and by theatre costumes in particular, so I was also very into the setting of a theatre wardrobe department as a workplace. However I am not entirely sure I understood everything that was intended with this book, from the slightly odd way the wardrobe employees talked to each other to the complex and sometimes contradictory family relationships, but I feel like that was maybe the point.

The story follows Mairéad, a young Irish girl working in the wardrobe department of a run-down West End theatre.

This is not at all a plot driven book, but it is a such a warm, quiet, moving slice of life. It was a bit of a slow start for me, but once I got into it, it was really easy to get through and to enjoy. I definitely enjoyed the second half a lot more, as it felt like it was all coming together and making more sense. It wasn't anything exceptional, but there are so many bits and pieces of this that stopped me in my tracks and left me to ponder about life. It has a lot of heart, and, to me, it makes up for what it lacks. I did feel like some of the characters were just a bunch of stereotypes glued together, but it wasn't that much of a bother in the general context of the story. Overall, it definitely was a great, interesting read.

Many thanks to Canongate Books & NetGalley for the eARC.

The Wardrobe Department centres around Mairéad, an Irish girl working in the wardrobe department of a West End theatre. She is lonely but struggles to put in the effort to make real connections with those around her. She feels awkward, uncomfortable in her own body and her life in London feels very passive. When she gets a call asking her to return to Ireland for a funeral, it is clear her life there was claustrophobic as everyone knew her family. She knows the patterns of life and what is expected of her. This is not a plot-driven novel but focuses on Mairéad’s relationship with others and herself. It captures the stark contrast between London and her hometown perfectly and her feelings of loneliness. The behind the scenes details of the theatre were excellent. For some it may seem slow but I felt it was well-paced. Garvey is very talented and I look forward to reading more from her in the future.

I found The Wardrobe Department by Elaine Garvey very difficult to read. The narrative seemed to flit all over the place (possibly following Mairead's thought processes.) Making reading it very disjointed. Although it is obvious Mairead has some kind of illness it's never made clear what it is. Her symptoms are so diverse and seem to affect her relationships with everyone she meets. I kept leaving and coming back to the book but in the end I'm afraid I had to give up and could not finish the book.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an advance copy. All opinions are my own.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book.

I was disappointed in this book, it seemed a little flat.

The theatre bits in London are quite interesting and we learn a lot about what the job of a wardrobe assistant involves. It had certainly never occurred to me that dressers have to deal with dirty underwear and stained clothes etc. The second part takes place in Ireland and it is the Ireland of large, meddling families, too close communities and traditional ways.

I felt that i did not get to know Mairead very much, she is lonely, awkward and chaotic and I didn't feel that there was any real development in her character or situation. At the end of the book she is a bit more outspoken but really that is all and there is hope for better things but the book ends at that point and I am really not convinced that Mairead will fit in any better elsewhere in London.

I felt that there was too much that was alluded to rather than addressed in the book - Mairead has some kind of illness, presumably food related, but we never find out what it is, or if we did, I did not notice. Did Mairead actually want to go to London or was she living her mother's dream? Her parents do not get on and later we find out that Mairead's mother did not get on with Mairead's grandmother but we never find out why or really how this has shaped Mairead's life. Maybe it was all too subtle for me.

I feel it is a sign of a good book that, once you have finished it, you wonder about the characters and what might happen to them. I do feel this with Mairead but I am left with the feeling that she should try her luck somewhere smaller and more familiar than London.

I really liked Elaine Garvey's novel The Wardrobe Department. And whilst I enjoyed reading about Mairéad's time working in a West End theatre’s wardrobe department, I struggled a bit to distinguish the myriad of characters. I felt they were sketched, rather than fully drawn, and this made it feel a little generic. I much preferred the story when it moved to Ireland, and sensed the author felt much more comfortable in this setting. So all in all, an enjoyable read, but it felt more like a couple of short stories linked together, rather than a novel.

The Wardrobe Department by Elaine Garvey is a character driven novel where each of the two main locations, London and the rural West of Ireland almost feel like characters in their own right. The deceptively simple story of Mairead, a young woman who has moved to London where she is working in the wardrobe department of a run down West End theatre drew me in because she felt like a living breathing person who sprang to life from the page. I could feel her struggle, the pull of a future in the city and a career in the theatre , the push of a difficult family background back home in Ireland but also the pull of home and family and familiarity against the push of the bullying producer meant that there was no easy decision for her, no route mapped out. I think that is a situation that will resonate with many readers, especially those who have been forced to leave home for economic reasons, an all too unfortunately frequent occurrence in the times we live in. The writing flows and feels very natural, from descriptions to dialogue there is almost a musicality at times that I found very pleasing. This feels like a book that will stay with me, one that I will think about and reach for again and I really hope that it finds its audience.
I read and reviewed an ARC courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher, all opinions are my own.

A different topic to be written about in a sympathetic way. A young Irish girl Mairead moves to London to work as a wardrobe assistant in a west end theatre. The story follows her encounters with members of the the theatres cast and their idiosyncrasies, her life is just work work work and running errands for other members of the cast. The second part of the book deals with Maireads return to Ireland for her grandmothers funeral and explains some of the reasons for her being in London on her own. I wasn't sure about the book at first, but it kept me reading to find out more about Mairead.

There were lovely parts to this novel, especially the sections set in Ireland. The London parts felt from an earlier era than the one intended and I also felt overwhelmed by the number of characters in the theatre setting - I kept losing track of who was who. (Maybe that was just me!). I did have empathy for Mairéad, and was hoping for better things for her in both Ireland and London.

Thank you to Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed this book, although I did think it was a little slow in places, still a good read.